Apparatus for coiling strip material



Oct. 30, 1962 R. w. HERR 4 APPARATUS FOR COILING STRIP MATERIA ilnitedStates Fatent 3,061,224 AFPARATUS FR CGILING STRIP MATERIA Richard W.Herr, Cortland, Ohio, assignor to The Herr Equipment Corporation,Warren, Ohio Fiied Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No., 2,931

8 Clainis. (Cl. 242-721) The present invention relates to coiling stripmaterial and the principal object of the invention is to provide a newand improved apparatus of such character.

The device in most common use at the present time for coiling stripmaterial consists of an expansible-contractable, rotatably mounted drumwhich is first expanded, then rotated to wind a quantity of stripthereon to form a coil, and thereafter contracted, after stopping, sothat the coiled str-ip may be removed therefrom.

As heretofore constructed and used, the above prior art devices have oneserious drawback; regardless of the type of arrangement used to securethe leading end of the strip to the drum prior to coiling of the strip,a bump will inevitably be formed in the strip as each convolution of thecoiled strip overlaps the beginning of the first coil convolution. Suchbump results because the strip must abruptly change its direction as itoverlaps the beginning of the first coil convolu-tion.

VVhile the bump aforesaid may not be particularly objectionable whenthin, relatively resilient strip is being coiled, it becomes so when thestrip is thick, especially if it is also rather ductile, since the bumpthen causes the strip to take a relatively severe set. In extreme cases,where the set in the strip caused by the bump is objectionable, itbecomes necessary to rework the strip to eliminate the set prior toperforming subsequent operations thereon 'and/or to even scrap some ofthe initial coil convolutions. Either expedient, of course, is costlyand therefore undesirable.

In order to eliminate the foregoing disadvantages, it has been proposedto use a belt wrapping device which tightly wraps the leading end of thestrip about the winding drum and thus obviates the necessity ofotherwise lattaching the free end of the strip to the drum. Such device,however, is initially expensive to purchase, cumbersome and troublesometo operate and maintain, is not usable with the heavier material, and itfurthermore does not completely eliminate the aforesaid bump in thestrip.

The present invention contemplates a novel method of using rotatablymounted, expansible-contractable coiling reels, or drums, and novelcoiling reel apparatus whereby the above-mentioned disadvantages ofprior art methods and .apparatus are eliminated. Other advantages willbecome apparent from a study of the following description and from theappended drawing.

In the drawing accompanying this `specification and forming a part ofthis application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, anembodiment which the invention may assume, and in this drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a coiling reel of the presentinvention in use in coiling strip material,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view generally corresponding to theline 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

3,0'l,224 Patented Oct. 30, 1962 FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2but showing certain parts in another position, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of certain of theparts as they appear in FIGU'RE 2.

With reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the construction chosen toillustrate the present invention comprises a rotatably mounted arbor 10which supports an expansible-contractable drum 11. Although not shownsince it forms no part of the present invention, arbor 10 w-ill beselectively rotated by any suitable drive means.

Fixedly secured to the arbor 10, as by means of capscrews 12, is anarcuate segment 13 forming a part of the drum periphery. Since thissegment is not movable radially of the arbor axis during expansion andcontraction of the drum, it will hereinafter be referred to -as thefixed drum segment. Pivotally secured to opposite sides of the fixeddrum segment, as by means of pivot pins 14, are a pair of arcuate drumsegments 15, 16 which are pivotable about respective pivot pins to- Wardand away from the arbor axis to respectively contact vand expand thedrum and which cooperate with the fixed drum segment 13 to provide thedrum periphery. Segments 15, 16 are disposed with their -free ends inadjoining relation and each free end has an inwardly facing, inclinedsurface 17 for a purpose to appear.

lMeans are provided for urging the free ends of segments |15, 16radially outwardly to exp-and the drum, such means comprising a body, orwedge member 18 extending the length of the drum. Body 18 has an arcuatesurface 19 providing 'a portion of the drum periphery and inclinedsurfaces 20, 21 on opposite sides of such arcuate surface andrespectively cooperable with an aforesaid inclined surface 17 of arespective adjoining movable segment as will appear. For reasons to bedisclosed, 'body surface 20 is herein shown provided with a plurality ofserrations or grooves.

.Means vare provided for guiding movement of body 18 in a rectilinearpath toward and laway from the arbor axis 'and as herein disclosed, aseries of pins 22 (only only of which can be seen), are affixed to thebody and project through transverse apertures in the arbor into thelatteris hollow interior. 'In the present embodiment, the lower ends ofthe pins (in the position of parts seen) are inclined 'for complementaryengagement with inclined surfaces formed in a rod 23 which is disposedwithin the hollow arbor and is shifta'ble longitudinally there-of. Thearrangement of parts is such that when rod 23 is shifted in onedirection, its inclined surfaces cause pins 22 to move radiallyoutwardly to thus similarly shift body 18. Movement of the rod 23 in theopposite direction will permit pins 22 and thus the body 18 to moveradially inwardly.

In the event a more detailed description is desired of the manner inwhich pins 22 and rod 23 function, reference may be had to theapplication of Richard F. Herr, entitled, Reels for Tenuous Material,filed June 12, 1957, Serial No. 665,224, and assigned to the sameassignee as the present case. It is to be understood, however, thatother suitable means may be employed to control movement of the body 18.

Means are provided for limiting radial movement of ananasa the segment15 and in the present embodiment, a bracket 24 having apertures forpassing the pins 22, is secured to the arbor by any suitable means.Bracket 24 has a leg 25 projecting toward the segment `15, such legterminating in a transversely extending lug 26. Welded or otherwisesecured to segment are a plurality of stops 27 which may be suitablyspaced longitudinally of the drum. Each stop is notchcd to providespaced abutments 28, 29 alternately engageable (see FIGURES 2 and 3)with the lug 26 of the bracket leg 2-.

The mode of operation and use of .the herein disclosed reel constructionis as follows: With the parts positioned as seen in FIGURE 3, it will benoted that body 18 is close to the arbor 10 thus permitting radialinward movement of the segments 15, 16 about their pivots to theirdrum-collapsed positions. While radial inward movement of segment 16 islimited by engagement of the latters surface 17 with the body surface21, it will be seen that radial inward movement of the segment 15 islimited by engagement of the stop abutment 28 with the bracket lug 26 tothus provide a space between the surface 17 of segment 15 and thesurface 26 of the body 18.

The leading end of the strip S to be coiled will now be inserted in thespace between the surfaces 17, 29 of the segment 15 and the body 13respectively yand the rod 23 then shifted, by any suitabie means, in thedirection to move the body 18 radially outwardly of the arbor. Radialoutward movement of the body 18 will cause radial outward movement ofthe segments 15, 16 until the abutment 29 of the stop 27 engages thebracket lug 26 and arrests movement of segment 15 at its drum expandedposition seen in FIGURE 2. Since the leading end of the strip isinterposed between the surfaces aforesaid of the segment 15 and the body13, the strip end will be tightly gripped, the previously mentionedserrations on body surface 28 insuring that vthe strip cannot slip frombetween said gripping surfaces.

It is to be noted that since the strip end is disposed between theaforesaid surfaces, radial outward movement of body 18 will beinterrupted before its arcuate surface '19 coincides with the arcuatesurface of the drum segment 15. There will thus be provided between thearcuate surfaces aforesaid a step which is substantially equal to thethickness of the strip being gripped. It will also be noted that sincesegment 16 is moved outwardly by radial outward movement of body 18,interruption of the movement of the body as above described willtherefore interrupt movement of the segment 16 so that its arcuatesurface generally coincides with the arcuate surface 19 of the body.

With the drum in the expanded position seen in FIG- URE 2, it is to beunderstood that the drum does not have the usual circular periphery butone that is generally spiral. The step in the drum periphery is disposedintermediate the juncture of the arcuate surface of the segment 15 andthe arcuate surface 19 of the body 18 and such step is of a depthsubstantially equal to the thickness of the strip being gripped.

If the drum is now rotated in the direction of the arrow to coil thestrip thereon, the latter Will first overlie the body 18, then segment16, fixed segment 13 and finally segment 15. Note that as the first turnof the strip overlaps the strip end emerging from the drum (FIGURES 2and 4), there is no abrupt change of direction, because of the spiralperiphery of the drum, which could cause a bump in the strip.

Rotation of the drum in the direction of the arrow will be continueduntil a coil of the desired size has been formed. Rotation will then bestopped and the rod 23 shifted in the direction to permit radial inward-movement of 'the body 18 and thus radial inward movement of thesegments 15, 16 to the drum-collapsed positions seen in FIGURE 2. Withthe drum thus collapsed, the completed coil can readily be removedtherefrom in I preparation for a repetition of the above describedcoiling Operations.

It is an important feature of 'the present invention not only that acoil may be wound whose initial convolutions are not damaged by apermanent set caused by an abrupt change in direction of the lay of 'thestrip, but also that the spiral drum periphery provided by the presentconstruction is self-adjusting for various strip thicknesses.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat I have accomplished at least the principal object of my inventionand it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified,without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that theinvention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specificallydescribed; henee it will be appreciated that the herein disclosedembodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limitedthereto.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding strip material, comprising a rotatably mounteddrum upon whose periphery the strip is adapted to be wound in successiveconvolutions, said drum being split longitudinally to provide a pair ofdrum segments each forming a part of the drum periphery and each adaptedto move outwardly in a direction away from the drum axis to a fulloutward position providing an expanded drum periphery of predeterminedsize, means for efecting outward movement of both of said segmentstoward drum-expanded position, a pair of strip gripping surfacesinterposed between one of said segments and said moving means forgripping the leading end of the strip therebetween to provide the startof a convolution and through which surfaces movement of the moving meansis transmitted to said one segment, and stop means for arresting outwardmovement of said one segment at its full outward position and throughsaid strip gripping surfaces andy the interposed strip, arrestingmovement of said moving means and consequent outward movement of theother of said segments short of its full outward position by an amountproportional to strip thickness, whereby said drum is formed With aradial step between said segments.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein each of said segments isswingable about a longitudinal axis which is spaced from and parallel-to the drum axis with longitudinal edges of said segments in facingrelation, ad'joining portions of said one segment and of said movingmeans providing said gripping surfaces.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said moving means is a membermovable radially of said drum and has a portion interposed between saidsegments.

4. The construction of claim 1 wherein each of said segments isswingable about a longitudinal axis which is spaced from and parallel tothe drum axis with longitudinal edges of said segments in facingrelation, and wherein said moving means is a member movable radially ofsaid drum and has a pair of spaced wedge surfaces engageable withrespective longitudinal segment edges, the edge of said one segment andits respective wedge surface comprising said strip gripping surfaces.

5. The construction of claim 4 wherein a portion of said radiallymovable member between said wedge surfaces forms part of the drumperiphery and wherein a fixed drum segment is interposed between saidswingable segments and forms part of the drum periphery.

6. The construction of claim 1 wherein said drum includes a centralsupport and wherein said moving means is slidably mounted in saidcentral support, the latter and said one segment having interengagingsurfaces which constitute said stop means for arresting outward movementof said one segment.

7. The construction of claim 1 wherein each of said segments isswingable about a longitudinal axis which is spaced from and parallel tothe drum axis With longitudinal edges of said segments in facingrelation, and

wheren said drum includes a central sleeve and an actuator reciprocableaxially within said sleeve, wheren said moving means is a memberslidably mounted in said sleeve and has cam engagement Wit-h saidactuator to move outwardly through axial movement of said actuator, andwheren said member has a pair of wedge surfaces engageable Withrespective longitudinal segment edges, the edge of said one segment andthe ad'joining wedge surface of said member comprising said stripgripping surfaces and the edge of the said other segment being directlyengageable with the other surface of said member.

8. The construction of claim 7 wheren said sleeve and said one segmenthave parts which interengage and constitute said stop means forarresting outward movement of the one segment at its full outwardposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS WarnerJuly 15, Biggert et al. Oct. 12, Mitchell Dec. 29, Spence Feb. 16, OrrMar. 23, Jones June 8, Kentis Aug. 14, Herman Mar. 3,

OTHER REFERENCES Germany (application) 1,045,345, printed Dec. 4, 195815 (KL. 7b 5/30).

